


What Happens in the Dark

by Rookmoon



Category: Naruto
Genre: Can you tell?, Depression, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hiding, Hugs, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I was depressed when I wrote this, Naruto is Just Naruto, Nature, Other, Sad, Self-Indulgent, Suicidal Thoughts, This boy i swear, all my fics are self indulgent. why do this otherwise?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-26
Updated: 2019-03-26
Packaged: 2019-12-18 09:25:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18247025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rookmoon/pseuds/Rookmoon
Summary: You're not doing so good. Naruto finds you in the forest, and does the best he can to help.





	What Happens in the Dark

In short, Naruto is the last person you thought would find you here, in the middle of the woods, at dusk.

The sun's dying light on the horizon feels like something more than just a sunset. It feels like calm, and change, and maybe something finally going right after everything that happened today.

After all, the dark can be comforting and right now, you don't want to be found. The tear tracks that had run down your face had finally dried, and you didn't want anyone to come and see you like this. Darkness is perfect for right now, and you get to see the sky's bright blues fade to purple and pink and red before it fades to that beautiful dark shade of the night sky. Sad and beautiful, all at the same time.

Unfortunately, no one told Naruto not to look for you, and no one told him not to look here. It's not like you would tell anyone when you come out here in the first place, but here he is nonetheless.

“If you wanted to be out here alone, you could have said something. I've been looking for you for hours. Thought something had happened to you.” The blond, standing on a branch close by, breaks the silence that you had revelled in before.

“Maybe I didn't want to be found, Naruto.” You look out over the trees, hoping that the loudmouth would just be quiet for once. Apparently luck just isn't on your side, as he sits down, and makes himself comfortable on a branch close by.

“Nah. I know how you get when you want to be alone. Now, is one of those times when you don't want to be alone, but you don't want to ask anyone to stay either.” Naruto looks out at the horizon, and smiles like he knows exactly how that feels. The sad sort of smile turns cheeky and he looks right at you. “After all, if you wanted me to leave, you would have made me go by now.”

You don't know how to respond to that. All you know is that you really need someone, but you don't want to bother anybody, even though Naruto is here, even after searching for so long.

“Some company might actually be nice.” you whisper. You want to say more, but you're not sure how this stubborn, cheerful guy would take the weight of your troubles. As much as you like him, you don't know if you can trust him with this. It's a hard thing to figure out, and your head is a bad place to be right now.

“You know you can talk to me, right? We're friends. Believe it. I'll be here for you if you need me, no matter what.”

Tears glisten in your eyes as you try to fight them back. You can't say anything right now, otherwise the dam will most definitely break, and you'll start crying all over again and you'll never live it down.

Everything feels fuzzy when he speaks again.

“I'd miss you if you were gone.” He gets up, and leaps onto a branch closer to you. When he settles again, his shoulder is almost brushing yours. “I just want you to know that.” His bright smile is blinding. It's like seeing the sun again.

That's when the tears start to fall. It's so sweet, and so much like Naruto that you don't really know what to do, and usually when you don't know what to do and have feelings about things, you start rambling.

You sob loudly, telling your old friend about the blackness that lurks just beyond what you can see. How it feels like something wants to swallow you whole and you can't seem to escape it. You tell him about the thoughts that have been giving you a hard time. How sometimes, on nights like this and things seem especially bad, you wonder what it would be like to not exist at all.

He gently interrupts with a tentative hand on your shoulder when you confess that sometimes, you wish you were dead.

“I understand how you're feeling, but that isn't the right answer for you right now. Whatever you're going through is only for the moment, but death lasts forever.” He sits for a moment, thinking, before he continues. “I'm not the only one who would miss you if you were to go. You've got Hinata, and Chouji, and Lee and everyone from the academy rooting for you, including me… Is it alright if I hug you? It might help you feel better.”

You nod, still crying and wiping at your eyes with your hands. It's been a long day, and you feel so much better when you feel Naruto's strong arms around you.

When he pulls you a little closer to him, you bury your head into the collar of his obnoxious orange jacket and cry until you run out of tears to shed.

You cling to him like he's your last hope in this strange world, like he can keep you afloat in this sea of ever changing emotion that threatens to drown you if you so much as lower your guard.

Being wrapped in his arms feels like safety, and that is something that has been in short supply lately. You spend the next hour draped across him in the most clumsy way while he holds you tight.

“'m sorry. There's tears 'n snot all over your jacket now.”

“I don't mind. I don't ever get to just hug you, so this is kind of nice… well, not the circumstances, but I like holding you like this.” Naruto squeezes you a little tighter and whispers. “I don't want to let you go.”

A fresh wave of tears comes up as you hear him say that, and your body shakes with the power of your cries.

You think there might be more than one meaning to that, but you'll leave those thoughts to ponder in the light of the sun that is now a precious handful of hours away from rising once more over the land of the leaf.

Exhaustion hits you, and you struggle to stay awake.

“You look like you could use some rest. Let's just stay here and get some sleep. Then we'll go home in the morning.” Naruto's tender look at you is enough to stop your train of thought.

That isn't the worst idea in the world, so you agree. The pair of you spend the rest of the night nestled in the safety of each other's embrace and the trees protective branches.


End file.
